WAGENINGEN / SAN FRANCISCO – March 31, 2026 – Foodvalley and Food System Innovations (FSI) are joining forces to lead the global shift toward balanced proteins (aka hybrid or blended products). This are meat, dairy, egg, and seafood products enriched with a significant proportion of high-quality plant-based ingredients.

By combining their complementary expertise and global networks, the two organizations aim to help the food industry scale products that deliver on taste, nutrition, sustainability, and affordability. The partnership will debut new insights and industry initiative at the Plant FWD 2026 conference, held at 8 & 9 April at the Midden Nederland Hallen, where the organizations will host a dedicated Balanced Proteins content track and showcase emerging products.

Image: Balanced Proteins – free for publication. Photo credit: Marnix Klooster.

Blends with Benefits

Balanced proteins, previously referred to as hybrids or blends, are gaining attention as food companies look for practical ways to improve the resilience and sustainability of the protein supply while maintaining the flavor and familiarity consumers expect.
By bringing together the strengths of animal and plant ingredients, these products can enhance flavor, improve nutrition, and increase supply resilience while maintaining the formats consumers already know and love. Rising prices for meat and dairy, combined with growing interest in healthier and more sustainable food choices, are creating new opportunities for the plant-based and animal protein industries to collaborate rather than compete.
“Balanced proteins represent a pragmatic path for building resilience into our protein industries, they allow the food industry to build on the taste and familiarity of animal proteins while incorporating complementary ingredients that improve nutrition, sustainability, and cost” says Tim Dale, Category Innovation Director at Food System Innovations and lead of the Balanced Protein Consortium. Jeroen Willemsen, lead Protein Transition at Foodvalley adds: “What makes this partnership exciting is the opportunity to connect the momentum we’re seeing in Europe and the United States and help the industry scale the category faster.”

Learning across continents

While balanced protein products have appeared in markets for decades, success has been sporadic. The new collaboration between Foodvalley and FSI will bring together learnings from both the European and U.S. markets, including insights on ingredient formulation, manufacturing scale-up, consumer communication, and nutrition.
The two organizations are complementary authorities in the domain: Foodvalley built Balanced Proteins initiatives, communities, and accelerated the adoption in Europe while FSI has driven adoption in the USA through its Balanced Protein Consortium. Together they comprise an ecosystem of over 80 parties worldwide active in this domain, including ingredient providers, B2C producers, technology providers and NGOs.

Debuting at Plant FWD 2026

The partnership will be formally on display at the Plant FWD conference, held at 8 & 9 April at Midden Nederland Hallen, where Foodvalley and FSI will host a series of sessions exploring opportunities and challenges for scaling balanced proteins globally. Highlights include:
• A keynote address from Michael Fox, CEO and Co-Founder of Fable Food Co.
• A Balanced Protein Gallery featuring balanced protein products from The Netherlands
• Breakout sessions with 25+ industry experts and entrepreneurs
• Discussion of how AI and new technologies may support product development
• A market analysis of the balanced protein category in the Netherlands
The event aims to convene food industry stakeholders interested in exploring how balanced proteins can support the next phase of protein innovation.

A Call to Action: Collaborate and Participate

Foodvalley and Food System Innovations invite food manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, retailers, investors, and researchers to participate in shaping the next phase of balanced protein innovation.

As demand grows for protein options that are nutritious, resilient, and affordable, the organizations believe collaboration across the animal and plant protein industries will be essential to scaling solutions that work for both businesses and consumers.
Plant FWD 2026 will serve as the first major platform for this intercontinental collaboration, bringing together industry leaders to share insights, showcase emerging products, and explore new opportunities for partnership.

To register for Plant FWD and participate in the Balanced Protein Track, visit Plant FWD 2026 Tickets, Wednesday, Apr 8 at 09:30 to Thursday, Apr 9 at 18:00 | Eventbrite. To learn more about Foodvalley and FSI’s Balanced Protein collaboration, visit our Balanced Proteins-initiative or the Balanced Protein Consortium of FSI.